Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur (abbreviated VNIT Nagpur), also referred to as NIT Nagpur, formerly Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur (REC) and Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur (VRCE), is a premier public engineering and research institution in India. It is located in Nagpur, Maharashtra, in central India.[2] The institute has been consistently ranked among the best fifteen engineering colleges in India. It was established in June 1960 by the Government of India and later named in honor of engineer, planner and statesman, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.

The first academic session at REC Nagpur started in June 1960, with classes temporarily being held at the Government Polytechnic, Nagpur. Subsequently, the Maharashtra Government granted 200 acres (81 ha) to the college for building its campus.

In 1962, the Board of Governors of the college resolved to name the college VRCE Nagpur after Sir Visvesvaraya.

VNIT Nagpur faculty and staff mentored the newly established National Institute of Technology Mizoram during the academic year 2010-11. VNIT Nagpur is currently the mentor institute for the newly established Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Nagpur.[3]

Most students live on the campus, which has over 12 men's hostels and 2 women's hostels.[6] On-campus housing for faculty is also available as an option. The campus is fully networked using fiber optic cables.

The campus health-care center caters to primary and urgent care requirements of students and staff.[7] The campus has facilities for auditoriums, a computer center, sporting facilities, a State Bank of India branch, a Canara Bank branch, cafes, coffee shops, a co-operative store and a post office.

The Student Council, composed of selected student representatives, plays an active role in various student affairs such as academics, training & placement, technical affairs, sports and cultural activities.

The Engineering undergraduate programs are usually of four-year duration, while Architecture has a five-year program. The institute accepts an incoming freshman class size of up to 798 students.[9]

Graduate and research programs, leading to Master's (M.Arch and M.Tech) and Ph.D. degrees, are offered by the Architecture and all 8 Engineering departments. A range of special fields of study are available in graduate and research programs in each discipline. The institute will soon offer Aeronautical Engineering. Up to 350 students are admitted to the Master's program each year.[10][11]

For B.Tech at VNIT Nagpur in 2015, the acceptance rates were as following:[17][18]

Computer Science and Engineering: 0.33 percent

Electronics and Communication Engineering: 0.58 percent

Mechanical Engineering: 0.67 percent

Electrical and Electronics Engineering: 0.82 percent

Civil Engineering: 1.23 percent

Chemical Engineering: 1.50 percent

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering: 2.18 percent

Mining Engineering: 2.61 percent

Undergraduate admissions for foreign students and NRIs are done through Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) scheme which considers SAT scores.

80% of students to the postgraduate programs (M.Tech) are admitted based on performance in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). These students receive stipends and tuition assistance from the institute and the Indian government. Another 20% of students are admitted based on industry or other research organization sponsorship, with full tuition typically paid by the sponsoring institution.[10]

The institute invites applications for PhD degree admissions in all departments, every academic year.

VNIT Nagpur has been ranked the 14th best Engineering College in India in the Edu-Rand Rankings of 2015.[21] The survey was done jointly by Edu, an Indian company and Rand Corporation, a non-profit American think-tank.[22]

In 2015, VNIT Nagpur was also ranked 11th in India by Times[23] in its Engineering Institute Rankings.

VNIT Nagpur regularly hosts conferences, exhibitions and conducts workshops. The institute organized more than 60 conferences, short term training programs and workshops in the year 2015 in which distinguished personalities including Honorable Ex-President of IndiaDr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visited the institute.

The 18th National Seminar on Aerospace Structures (NASAS) was organized by VNIT Nagpur in association with Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) Nagpur, Aeronautical Research and Development Board (AR & DB), Ministry of Defence, Government of India, New Delhi and Maintenance Command, Indian Air Force, Nagpur.[26]

The institute has academic collaboration with the many universities in India and abroad. During the year 2015 alone, VNIT Nagpur signed 7 MoUs with International Universities and 21 MoUs with National Institutions, Laboratories and Industries.[27][28] These collaborative programmes include student and faculty exchange, internships for students and joint research activities among others. Some of the major universities which have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VNIT Nagpur are:

VNIT Nagpur was one of 12 institutes selected by the MHRD, Government of India, for the BRICS Network University on behalf of India. The institute was identified for the knowledge field ‘Ecology and Climate Change’ and participated in the Indian delegation that attended the Conference of the BRICS held at Ekaterinburg, Russia. A special protocol to the MoU on the establishment of the BRICS Network University was signed by Dr Narendra Chaudhari, Director, VNIT Nagpur.[37]

Departments of the institute are involved in various research projects funded by the Department of Science and Technology (India) and other public and private corporations. VNIT Nagpur has been granted World Bank assisted technical project for Applied Research in Combedded Systems with the status of Center of Excellence (CoE) under the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme Phase-II (TEQIP-II).[38] This program includes a grant of Rs. 5 crore. Such a center at VNIT Nagpur is one among six National Institutes of Technology centers which have got the status of Center of Excellence.

A team from the faculty of Applied Mechanics (structural dynamics and earthquake engineering) at the institute was asked by NGOSEEDS to visit Nepal in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2015 for providing technical support to them.[40] The team from the department had earlier visited Gujarat when an earthquake struck the state in 2001 and Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2004 when a tsunami struck there after a massive quake in Sumatra, Indonesia.[40]

Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) has tied-up with VNIT Nagpur for testing facilities and inputs on the metro's structural drawings, inspection and testing of materials.[41]

VNIT Nagpur has adopted nine villages in Amravati, Nagpur and Jalgaon districts under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) aimed at bringing grass roots level changes in rural areas through technological interventions from academic and research institutes, without affecting the local culture.[42]

The institute has an active Industry Institute Interaction Cell and International Affairs Cell.

The institute has a very vibrant campus life with as many as 30 clubs and student organizations. These clubs span and promote a variety of interests such as technical, cultural, literary, debating, quizzing, sports, social service etc. among the students. It hosts an active chapter of SPIC MACAY, which promotes classical Indian music, dance and culture. Hamsdhwani is a student Hindustani classical music group. A number of semi-professional rock bands and music groups form at VNIT Nagpur and perform at college events. Past popular bands have included Drakshya, Glasnost, Morphine, Rust, Saints of Metal and Vighn. Some student clubs and groups at the institute are:

Hallabol – Dramatics Club was founded in January 2008 by Harsh Thacker, Electrical Engg 2008 batch

A gymnasium and various sports facilities for cricket, lawn tennis, football, basketball, volleyball, athletics are available on the campus. An Indoor Games Complex has been built for indoor sports such as badminton, table-tennis among others. College teams also participate in regional championships and the Inter-NIT Sports Tournament. The 8 engineering departments and the architecture department compete in a number of sports during Institute Gathering, which is an annual week-long event organized in January–February.

VNIT Nagpur has a strong alumni network referred as VNITAA.[43] Over the years, alumni of VNIT Nagpur have taken up strategic positions in organisations around the world. Alumni include prominent academics and business executives. The institute has an active alumni network, with chapters across India, in the United States and in Europe.[44]

The Alumni Cell at VNIT Nagpur manages interactions with the alumni network and keeps them involved in important events at the institute.